One of those documents that I had my sights set on for the last 10 years of genealogy research is the passenger list containing the ZALEWSKI family when they left home and came to America. According to notes I had from a previous researcher, "...[Frank and Anna] left Poland from the Baltic port of … [Read more...]

This is a headstone photo I found in my grandmother's photo album. It's the headstone from my great-grandmother, Emily (TROKA) ZALEWSKI in 1959 at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee. It's unique because this current headstone no longer exists. My great-grandfather, Joseph ZALEWSKI, remarried later on … [Read more...]

I chose to do a multiple tombstone post. This is a view across part of Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A lot of my Polish ancestors are buried here including my ZALEWSKI, TROKA and SZULTA family. It literally looks like a "City of the Dead" as it goes on and on. … [Read more...]

If anyone happens to have ancestors buried in the Cedarburg, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin area, you're in luck. I just noticed that Cedarburg has most of their cemetery records available online. This only includes city cemeteries, not church-related cemeteries (with included Find-A-Grave … [Read more...]

July 19th
1959 - Died - Clara (SZULTA) TROKA - Clara is my great-great-grandmother on my father's side. She was born 6 Jan 1876 in Poland and immigrated to Milwaukee with her parents in 1881. She married Joseph TROKA in 1894. She passed away in Milwaukee three years before her husband.
July … [Read more...]

This is a photo of Jacob HUIZEL (middle) and two unknown women. Jacob is my wife's great-great uncle. The reason for the "One-Arm" title is that we found an earlier photo of Jacob and on the back it just said "Uncle Jake" and under it was written "(one arm)". There are a few photos like this one, … [Read more...]

Here is another generic cemetery image. I took this one a few years back on my first trip to Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee. It is probably one of the most interesting and beautiful cemeteries I've seen yet. This one came out nice in the fall. I wish I could find my originals. These copies aren't … [Read more...]

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If you have any ancestors that lived in the Greater Milwaukee area from 1884-2007, you're in luck. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's website has access to search and view newspapers from its history, … [Read More...]

About Brian

I started genealogy research about mid-1999. My grandfather had passed away in April of that year. Since then I’ve done a lot of research not only for myself, but for friends and other relatives. In 2006, I married the love of my life, Darcy, and welcomed the birth of our daughter, Aerissa Jean, in 2010 and our son, Xander Lee, in 2012. I can’t wait to tell them stories about all of their ancestors. Read More…